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Brock Turner only spent 3 months in jail because Judge Persky cared more about his future than justice for the survivor.

To defeat #rapeculture we must understand it.

Sources

weareultraviolet.org/rapeculture

In feminist theory, rape culture is a setting in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. There is disagreement over what defines rape culture and as to whether any societies currently meet the criteria for a rape culture.

Behaviors commonly associated with rape culture include victim blaming, sexual objectification, trivializing rape, denial of widespread rape, refusing to acknowledge the harm caused by some forms of sexual violence, or some combination of these.

The notion of rape culture has been used to describe and explain behavior within social groups, including prison rape, and in conflict areas where war rape is used as psychological warfare.

Entire societies have been alleged to be rape cultures.

Evidence suggests that rape culture is correlated with other social factors and behaviors. Rape myths, victim blaming, and trivialization of rape have been found to be positively correlated with racism, sexism,homophobia, ageism, classism, religious intolerance, and other forms of discrimination.

A Red Face in the Crowd: Identities of A Native American Two-Spirit Writer

“In shape-shifting, through the arts and social circles, I aspire to bring those who aren’t usually heard to the table. I raise these questions: How can we all utilize our artistic practice to challenge the formulas of privilege? How can creative artists and decision makers challenge their infrastructure to build a new nation of theatre?

In my Trans/two-spirit communities, we can use theatre making tools to express, to heal, to celebrate, and to tell our stories on stages. There is a teaching I received when I was given a sacred hoop dance. It was that we are all connected in this great circle of life.

The symbol of the hoop is important because it unifies all living things.

In a circle there are no corners in which to hide, and in this circle unifying all living things, we must stand next to and across from each other as equals. Healing, celebrating, telling together, though our stories differ.

“Two-spirit” is how some Native Americans describe people whose gender identity doesn’t fit as strictly male or female. Meet Ty DeFoe, who’s using traditional dance to take this gender identity back from the negative connotations established during colonization.

As the nation is stunned by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the immediate question is what it will mean for the Supreme Court this year and in the future.

The court has an unusually large number of cases before it this term on controversial issues: abortion, affirmative action, the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act, the First Amendment rights of non-union members, immigration and voting districting.

The long-established procedure is that for a justice to participate in a ruling, he or she must be on the bench at the time the decision is handed down. Justice Scalia’s vote, therefore, will not be counted in any case this year that has not already been issued. Obviously, in any case where there is a majority without him, the decision still will be forthcoming.

~~GRAPHICS SOURCE~~

Google Images

Clay Bennett

Chattanooga Times Free Press

I do not own these images.

No intention of taking credit.

If anyone knows the owner of any, please advise and it will be corrected immediately.

Refugees’ life jackets are transformed into message of peace on the Greek island of Lesbos

~Megan Specia~

A bright orange peace sign appeared on a hillside on the Greek island of Lesbos on New Year’s Day, transforming a growing pile of life jackets discarded by refugees arriving on the island into a message to the world.

Dozens of Greenpeace and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) volunteers and local supporters teamed up to create the massive peace sign Friday, January 1, 2016, on a hillside overlooking the small strait between Greece and Turkey that has become a main passageway for those fleeing to Europe.

Made up of more than 3,000 life jackets and built by dozens of volunteers, the sign is a way to honor those who have made the journey and to urge peace in the new year, according to Greenpeace.

~~GRAPHICS SOURCE~~

Google Images

AJ+ YouTube Channel

~~GALLERY~~

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Those involved in the project are calling for safe passage to those fleeing war, poverty and oppression.

Thousands of people arrive on the island of Lesbos daily, packed into flimsy rubber dinghies and wooden fishing boats. Most are refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East and Africa.

More than 1 million migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe by crossing the Mediterranean in the past 12 months. Another 3,700 people perished in the sea last year while attempting the crossing.

In October and November, so many bodies had washed up on Lesbos that the local morgue ran out of space to house the dead. Tragic scenes played out weekly as ad hoc rescue efforts led by local and international volunteers were unable to deal with the sheer scale of new arrivals.

The life jackets have been slowly piling up in a dump on the island, near the town of Molyvos.

As those who do manage to make it to shore quickly move further on into Europe, their life jackets stay behind as a growing reminder of the movement of people through the area, as well as the lives that have been lost.

The show, including a water-skying Santa, reindeers, elves, the Grinch and Frosty, the Snowman, has been performing for more than thirty years.

The tradition, celebrating its 30th year, will not just see the# Jolly Old Elf on the water, but a whole cast of characters including knee boarding reindeer, flying elves, a jet-skiing Grinch and the only snowman you’ll see this Christmas — Frosty, in a dinghy.

After a few days off, I’m back to the grind. I must say that I missed it and missed all of you. It’s hard for me to stay away. With that said, let’s get down to business.

I’m aware that I’ve been reluctant to continue to give “the donald” any time in this “spot”. However, even though this post talks about him, my intention is to feature Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore.

It gives me hope, and dare I think, that some are standing up to the continued rhetoric, inane words, bigotry and incendiary and dangerous, hateful words of the front-runner GOP candidate.

I went & stood in front of Trump Tower & held a sign until the police came. Then I went home & wrote Donald a letter.

Here it is:

Dear Donald Trump,

You may remember (you do, after all, have a “perfect memory!”), that we met back in November of 1998 in the green room of a talk show where we were both scheduled to appear one afternoon. But just before going on, I was pulled aside by a producer from the show who said that you were “nervous” about being on the set with me. She said you didn’t want to be “ripped apart” and you wanted to be reassured I wouldn’t “go after you.”

“Does he think I’m going to tackle him and put him in a choke hold?” I asked, bewildered.

“No,” the producer replied, “he just seems all jittery about you.”

“Huh. I’ve never met the guy. There’s no reason for him to be scared,” I said. “I really don’t know much about him other than he seems to like his name on stuff. I’ll talk to him if you want me to.”

And so, as you may remember, I did. I went up and introduced myself to you. “The producer says you’re worried I might say or do something to you during the show. Hey, no offense, but I barely know who you are. I’m from Michigan. Please don’t worry — we’re gonna get along just fine!”

You seemed relieved, then leaned in and said to me, “I just didn’t want any trouble out there and I just wanted to make sure that, you know, you and I got along. That you weren’t going to pick on me for something ridiculous.”

“Pick on” you? I thought, where are we, in 3rd grade? I was struck by how you, a self-described tough guy from Queens, seemed like such a fraidey-cat.

You and I went on to do the show. Nothing untoward happened between us. I didn’t pull on your hair, didn’t put gum on your seat. “What a wuss,” was all I remember thinking as I left the set.

And now, here we are in 2015 and, like many other angry white guys, you are frightened by a bogeyman who is out to get you. That bogeyman, in your mind, are all Muslims. Not just the ones who have killed, but ALL MUSLIMS.

Fortunately, Donald, you and your supporters no longer look like what America actually is today. We are not a country of angry white guys. Here’s a statistic that is going to make your hair spin: Eighty-one percent of the electorate who will pick the president next year are either female, people of color, or young people between the ages of 18 and 35. In other words, not you. And not the people who want you leading their country.

So, in desperation and insanity, you call for a ban on all Muslims entering this country. I was raised to believe that we are all each other’s brother and sister, regardless of race, creed or color. That means if you want to ban Muslims, you are first going to have to ban me. And everyone else.

We are all Muslim.

Just as we are all Mexican, we are all Catholic and Jewish and white and black and every shade in between. We are all children of God (or nature or whatever you believe in), part of the human family, and nothing you say or do can change that fact one iota. If you don’t like living by these American rules, then you need to go to the time-out room in any one of your Towers, sit there, and think about what you’ve said.

And then leave the rest of us alone so we can elect a real president who is both compassionate and strong — at least strong enough not to be all whiny and scared of some guy in a ballcap from Michigan sitting next to him on a talk show couch. You’re not so tough, Donny, and I’m glad I got to see the real you up close and personal all those years ago.

We are all Muslim. Deal with it.

All my best,
Michael Moore

P.S. I’m asking everyone who reads this letter to go here (http://michaelmoore.com/weareallmuslim) and sign the following statement: “WE ARE ALL MUSLIM” — and then post a photo of yourself holding a homemade sign saying “WE ARE ALL MUSLIM” on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using the hashtag #WeAreAllMuslim. I will post all the photos on my site and send them to you, Mr. Trump. Feel free to join us.

We are all ONE!!

Hello September … 2019

Puerto Rico … #YoNoMeQuito

#TogetherAgainstAntisemitis ….

A Storm Approaches ….

Fibonacci Sequence ….

Sixth Year Blogging Anniversary … Wordpress

Fifth Year Blogging AnnIversary … WordPress

Fourth Year Blogging Anniversary … WordPress

Treasure Trove Award … R. Goldstein

Horty Rexach …. youtube Playlist!

Horty

I'm originally from Puerto Rico. I was born in Santurce and raised in Rio Piedras. I currently live in Florida - since 1999. I have a doctorate degree in Medicine; completed in 1976. My Internal Medicine specialty was completed in 1979. Worked for Puerto Rico's health system until 1985. At this time, I'm happily retired after working for the federal government for almost 28yrs. I also worked for the government of Puerto Rico from 1979 through 1985 .... for a total of almost 40 years as a physician. I want to offer any knowledge that I have to anyone "out there" who is interested. My views are liberal in almost every sense. My knowledge is "eclectic" - a bit of everything. Music and reading are my passion. Blogging has also become a very interesting endeavor. Metaphysical topics attract me. I'm interested in news - reporting human issues like injustice, discrimination and abuse - the "wrongly" affected. My intention is to bring this knowledge to an understandable level and to help anyone in need. I'm open to questions and will answer them to the best of my ability. Currently working on an enterprise whose main mission will be to bring peoples of all walks of life together. To be one .... since we ALL are ONE!! The future looks bright and promising!!!